Sylvia Drake

by Sylvia Drake
(Chicago, IL)

Elana McKernan and Ben Colahan in a publicity photo for "Salome"

Sylvia Drake recently arrived in Chicago from the west coast, where she had been involved in the theater scenes there as writer, director and techie (and, when seasonally appropriate, working on Democratic campaigns) while slowly migrating closer to Canada over the course of the '00s. She began directing for the stage as a teenager in the San Francisco area in collaboration with other young artists on productions of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind and Rocky Horror.

In Portland, Oregon, she directed Oscar Wilde's Salome; her own play The New Poetry, produced at Reed College; and the staged workshop reading of Votin' Fever!, a new musical comedy for which she co-wrote the book and lyrics. In Seattle, she directed a workshop of Glynis Mitchell's Space in preparation for its KC Fringe and Bumbershoot productions. Her other work in Seattle included stage management for Balagan and Second Story Repertory, working as audience services manager for Balagan and hosting a theater discussion series for Two Hours Traffic.

Her shortest rehearsal times so far have been the week-long rehearsal schedules for her workshop productions, but a rehearsal process of less than 24 hours seems like it could be the next logical step.

Sylvia also champions some things and complains about other things at her blog, http://sylviasproblem.wordpress.com/ .